Manga 101: A Starter Pack for the Curious Readers
Welcome to the world of manga. It's weird here. You'll love it
If you’ve found yourself suddenly humming BTS or other Korean music while simultaneously bingeing a 16-episode K-drama, wondering if you should finally invest in a ceramic ramen bowl, don’t worry, you’re not having an identity crisis. You’re just living in a world that’s been lightly sautéed in soy sauce and simmered in East Asian pop culture for the last decade.
And yes, maybe you’re in your early 30s. You pay taxes. You have that one back pain that flares up after leg day. But who said manga is just for teenagers with too many Monster Energy cans and WiFi-fueled attention spans? Manga—Japan’s answer to the graphic novel—is for everyone.
Yes, even you, corporate warrior with a matcha addiction and an Instagram algorithm that won’t stop showing you Studio Ghibli memes.
Maybe you’ve wandered onto Reddit one night, misty-eyed and deeply confused, trying to decipher a post titled: “Is Berserk better than Vagabond or do you just like pain?” You kept scrolling, only to find the comments section had devolved into a literary turf war. No one wins. Everyone quotes Nietzsche!
But fret not. We aren’t here to join the fight. We’re just here to show you the door. Call this your starter pack. Your gateway into the wonderful, emotional, slightly unhinged world of manga.
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Death Note
Genre: Thriller, Supernatural: Volumes: 12
If you’ve never read manga, Death Note is your red pill. A teenager finds a notebook that lets him kill anyone by writing their name in it. It’s part philosophical nightmare, part cat-and-mouse crime drama, and a full-blown psychological chess game. Light Yagami, our anti-hero, has the God complex of a startup founder and the haircut of someone who definitely journals in fountain pen.
It’s dark, twisty, and makes you question whether you’re rooting for the right person. Don’t think. just read. Or you’ll end up like Light. Overthinking and whispering to apples.
One Piece
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy; Volumes: Over 100 (Don’t panic)
Okay, okay, we know. It’s long. It’s daunting. It’s the manga equivalent of running a marathon after only having jogged to catch your Uber Eats. But One Piece is a cultural landmark. Think: pirates, politics, found family, talking reindeers, world-building on steroids, and a protagonist whose greatest strength is optimism.
You may not finish it in this lifetime (seriously, it’s still ongoing), but even ten volumes in, you’ll understand why people weep when talking about Arlong Park. Plus, if you’ve ever fantasized about quitting your job to sail the seas with your weird friends, this one’s for you.
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Spy x Family
Genre: Comedy, Action, Slice-of-Life; Volumes: Ongoing
This is where things get delightfully absurd. A spy needs to create a fake family for a mission. He “marries” a woman who turns out to be an assassin. Their adopted daughter? A telepath. None of them know each other’s secrets. It's like Mr. & Mrs. Smith had a baby with The Incredibles, and that baby read too much Peanuts.
Perfect for light reading, long flights, or those Sundays when your brain can’t handle existential despair.
Vagabond
Genre: Historical, Samurai Drama; Volumes: 37 (on hiatus)
Feeling existential? A little broody with a deep love for brushstroke aesthetics and fatalistic samurai quotes? Welcome to Vagabond, a fictionalized retelling of the life of Miyamoto Musashi, Japan’s most legendary swordsman.
Every page feels like it was painted with the tears of a calligraphy master. It’s a slow burn—more philosophy than action—but it’s visually stunning and emotionally brutal. Like staring into a beautiful void and liking it.
Chainsaw Man
Genre: Horror, Action, Absurdism; Volumes: Ongoing
You either love this one or you’re terrified of it. Maybe both. Tatsuki Fujimoto's broke teenager with a chainsaw dog merges with said dog to become... Chainsaw Man. Sounds dumb? Absolutely. But underneath the gore, devils, and madness is a surprisingly tender exploration of loneliness, desire, and the weird things we do for love.
Warning: will make you laugh, gasp, and then quietly reflect on capitalism. Also may cause emotional whiplash.
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness
Genre: Memoir, LGBTQ+; Volumes: 1 (but has sequels)
This one’s different. Raw, awkward, real. A deeply personal, autobiographical manga about mental health, queerness, and the awkwardness of growing up in a world that feels like it wasn’t made for you. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t have samurai or death gods. But it might just be the most human thing you read this year.
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Goodnight Punpun
Genre: Drama, Psychological; Volumes: 13
You don’t read Goodnight Punpun. You experience and endure it. A coming-of-age story by Inio Asano about a boy drawn as a literal bird while everything around him spirals into surreal heartbreak. You will not be okay after reading this. But you will be changed. Like listening to Radiohead on a rainy night kind of changed.
There’s a manga out there for everyone. You just have to find the one that cracks you open a little bit. It’s okay to be overwhelmed. It’s okay to start slow. It’s okay to read something with giant robots punching demons and call it “literature” (because it is).
So go ahead and hit up your nearest bookstore, or sink into that black hole called MangaDex. Eat some instant noodles. Light a sandalwood candle. Pretend you're in Tokyo for the night.